Ottawa Senators development camp began on Tuesday and
runs until Monday. Former Sea Dogs forward Mike Hoffman, who made his National
Hockey League debut last season, is once again at the camp.

Hoffman scored in Thursday’s scrimmage as he skated on
the top line with Mark Stone and Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

“He was, as mentioned, on the top line of the scrimmage,
and he scored the lone goal during actual play (I think Cole Schneider scored
on a penalty shot, but I can't say for sure; didn't get a good look),” writes
Peter Raaymakers of Silver Sevens. “Hoffman had a good level of intensity all
game, and he's got flow that would make Milan Michalek jealous. He led the
B-Sens in scoring last year, and will turn a few heads in Ottawa's training
camp.”

Being pro eligible this season, Villemaire will likely
play for the American Hockey League’s Portland Pirates or the East Coast Hockey
League’s Gwinnett Gladiators.

The Sea Dogs acquired Villemaire in a trade with the
Drummondville Voltigeurs during the holiday trading period. He proved to be a
valuable part of the Dogs much like Alexandre Beauregard was the year before.

He was only in Saint John for a few months but managed to
have one of the most bizarre Sea Dogs careers ever. He played his first game
with the Dogs on January 4 against Gatineau and scored a goal. He then left
the club to think about his future and did not return to action until February
3. As it turned out, Villemaire did not sign his player card prior to playing
in that game against the Olympiques and the Dogs were stripped of a – at the
time – crucial win/two points.

Villemaire played 16 games with Saint John during the
regular season, registering eight goals and three assists. He added another
three helpers in 13 playoff games as he helped the Sea Dogs capture the
President’s Cup.

The Lasalle, Quebec native played one-and-a-half seasons
with Drummondville before being traded to Saint John.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Former Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender Mathieu Corbeil
will be taking part in Vancouver Canucks development camp this week. According to the Canucks website, the five-day camp runs through Canada Day weekend.

Corbeil will be part of Group B who will take to the ice
for the first time on Friday morning at Rogers Arena. Other notables taking
part in the camp are Alexandre Carrier, Jeremie Blain, and Alexandre Mallet.

The 20-year old was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets
in the fourth round of the 2010 NHL Draft. He was not signed by the Blue
Jackets and was not drafted again, meaning he is free to try and a land a
contract elsewhere. An invite to Canucks development camp is certainly a
good start.

“Corbeil had excellent numbers the past two seasons for
the powerhouse Saint John team, but the club believes the numbers he posted in
Halifax prior to coming to the Sea Dogs are a better reflection of his talent,”
wrote Chris Roberts of Hockey’s Future on Tuesday. “Regardless, given the lack
of goaltending depth in the organization, it is a bit of a surprise that
Corbeil wasn’t tendered.”

Corbeil went 37-10-1 with Saint John this past season
with a 2.38 goals against average and a 0.911 save percentage. In the playoffs
he had a record of 16-0-1 with a 2.18 GAA and a 0.917 save percentage. He was
average at the Memorial Cup, going 2-2 with a 3.51 GAA and a 0.881 save percentage.

Canucks development camp has had quite a bit of Sea Dogs
flavour over the past few years with Yann Sauve, Steven Anthony, and Karel St.
Laurent. None of those players will be at camp this year.

The 2012 CHL Import Draft has wrapped up, and the Saint John
Sea Dogs have added a pair of teammates. With their first selection, 34th
overall (acquired from Rimouski), the Dogs selected Slovenian d-man Jurij Repe.
Then, with their own first round pick, 52nd overall, Saint John
drafted Czech winger Jakub Izacky.

According to the indispensable Elite Prospects, the
1994-born Repe is a 6-foot-2, 198-pound defender who suited up for HC Trinec in
the Czech junior league this year. His birthday is just two days short of the
cut off for this year’s NHL Entry Draft, so he’ll be one of, if not the oldest
player eligible for the 2013 draft.

Izacky is listed as a left winger, and played with Repe in
Trinec this season. His offensive production was relatively poor, ranking 9th
among forwards in team scoring. Izacky was rated 39th among European
forwards in the final ranking from Central Scouting, down from 23rd
at mid-term, but went undrafted. He’ll be an age-19 player this season.

It is on this day that your team drafts players you have probably
never heard of from teams you don’t you know from places you can’t locate on a
map. Good times.

The Sea Dogs are expected to pick twice today to replace
Stanislav Galiev and Tomas Jurco. Saint John currently owns picks 34, 52, and
112. The Sea Dogs have made six picks all time at the Import Draft and, if
nothing changes, this will be just the second time that the franchise has
picked a player not in the top five.

So let’s take a look back at the Sea Dogs’ previous
European picks.

2005: 5th overall - Martin Bartos

Saint John’s first ever import pick, Bartos played just
one season with Saint John, recording 11 goals and 17 assists in 43 matches. He
was traded to Bathurst prior to the 2006-07 season in exchange for goaltender
Maxime Joyal and a third round draft pick. Ugh.

Bartos registered 81 points with the Titan in 06-07 and
another eight in the playoffs. He headed top Europe the following year.

Schutz had 52 points in 65 games during his rookie
campaign with the Sea Dogs in 2005-06. He was drafted in the fourth round, 117th
overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2006 NHL Draft.

Schutz registered 11 points in 18 games with the Sea Dogs
during the first half of the 2006-07 season. He was traded to the Val-d’Or
Foreurs during the holiday trading period for Alexandre Leduc and Bruno
Desjardins. The German had 33 points in
27 games with Val-d’Or and then added another 15 points during the Foreurs’
20-game playoff run.

According to Elite Prospects, Schutz played in Europe in
2007-08 before heading back overseas to play with the Sabres’ American Hockey
League affiliate at the time, the Portland Pirates. He played two seasons with
the Pirates before returning to play in Germany.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

The Saint John Sea Dogs roster revamp will continue
tomorrow morning when the 2012 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft takes place.
The draft, done online, begins at 10am Atlantic.

As the CHL website explains, “the two-round draft will
take place online with the order of selection rotating through each of the
CHL’s three leagues using an inverse order of final regular season standings
from the 2011-12 season. Each team in the
CHL is permitted to carry two European import players each season who are
selected annually through the CHL Import Draft.
Teams are permitted to trade draft picks up to and during the CHL Import
Draft process with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats currently holding the number
one pick acquired by trade with the Sherbrooke Phoenix. The WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders currently
hold the second selection, followed by the OHL’s Erie Otters at number three.”

The Sea Dogs currently hold three picks in the draft so
they do have the option of moving a pick if they so wish. They have two first
round selections (34th and 52nd) and a second round pick
(112th). Their top pick, 34th overall, was originally Rimouski’s
pick but was acquired via trade in January.

Whoever Saint John picks tomorrow, they have some big
shoes to fill. Stanislav Galiev and Tomas Jurco, both of whom have become legit
NHL prospects, played major roles with the Sea Dogs over the past three years.

The Sea Dogs haven’t made a selection in the Import Draft
since 2009 when they picked Galiev first overall and Jurco fourth overall. They've made six picks all-time at the Import Draft.

In franchise history, the Sea Dogs have selected four
forwards, a defenseman, and a goaltender. Saint John currently has room at every position
so they have a lot of possibilities tomorrow.

There are also plenty of questions heading into the draft.
Will the Sea Dogs trade up? Will they draft a younger player they can get a few
years out of or will they pick an older player? Will we be able to locate their
hometown on a map? How many vowels will their name have?

Moncton has the first overall pick and Cape Breton picks
seventh. There is going to some solid talent in the Maritimes Division next
season.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

A total of 19 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League players
were selected in the 2012 National Hockey League Draft. The Quebec Remparts’
Mikhail Grigorenko was the only QMJHL player selected in Friday’s first round
(unless you include Stefan Matteau) while the rest were selected in today’s two
through seven rounds.

A year after five Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
players were selected in the first round of the National Hockey League Draft,
only one was selected this year.

At the 2012 NHL Draft on Friday night in Pittsburgh, the
Buffalo Sabres selected Quebec Remparts forward Mikhail Grigorenko 12th
overall. He would be the only Q player among the top 30 picks. The Russian was the only QMJHL player expected to be selected on the
opening day of the draft. A lot had predicted him going around 12th
overall.

Grigorenko recorded 40 goals and 45 assists in 59 regular season games
in his first season with the Remparts. He struggled in the playoffs – and was
suffering from mono – and only registered three goals and seven assists in 11
contests.

“Right or wrong, Grigorenko represents a gamble at this
point in time for an NHL team with an early draft pick,” writes Ian Altenbaugh
of HockeysFuture.com. “While there is a chance that his effort level may never
match that of his talent, it is also possible that he could become one of the
top scorers on an NHL squad in the very near future. In a business where the
future employment of a team's primary decision makers may hang in the balance
if such a high profile draft selection busts, it's easy to understand why some
teams don't want to risk it.”

Rounds two three seven of the draft take place tomorrow
and there will be several QMJHL players picked. Hockey’s Future has a list of
the top 10 Q prospects available for this year’s draft.

Of note, Michael Matheson, whose committed to Boston
College but whose QMJHL rights are held by the Moncton Wildcats, was selected
by the Florida Panthers 23rd overall. Also, the New Jersey Devils' pick at No. 29, Stefan Matteau, will play for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada next year.

As expected, the Edmonton Oilers took forward Nail
Yakupov first overall. Eight of the top 10 picks were defensemen.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has announced the
2012 pre-season schedule.

According to the schedule posted on the league’s website, the
Saint John Sea Dogs will play seven exhibition games this year beginning at
August 17 at Harbour Station when they host the Prince Edward Island Rocket.
The Sea Dogs will play three home games – all of which are believed to be played
at Harbour Station.

Saint John will play PEI, Moncton, and Halifax twice and
Bathurst once.

Here is the Sea Dogs’ full pre-season schedule.

August 17 at 7:30pm – PEI vs Saint John – Harbour Station

August 18 at 2:00pm – Saint John vs PEI – Pownal Sports
Centre

August 22 at at 7pm – Saint John vs Bathurst - Tracadie-Sheila, NB

September 7 at 7pm – Saint John vs Moncton – Amherst Stadium

September 8 at 7pm – Moncton vs Saint John – Harbour Station

September 14 at 7pm – Saint John vs Halifax – Halifax Forum

September 15 at 7pm – Halifax vs Saint John – Harbour Station

The pre-season is stretched out more this year with the
regular season starting two weeks later. The 2012-13 campaign begins with
Bathurst visiting Saint John on Thursday, September 20.

The Sea Dogs’ pre-season schedule last year consisted of
five games that stretched from August 19 to August 31. The regular season
started on September 8 a year ago.

This year’s pre-season and training camp should be much
more interesting than last year’s with plenty of roster spots up for grabs. The
spotlight will likely be on Matthew Highmore, Olivier Leblanc, and whoever the
Dogs pick in next week’s CHL Import Draft.

Five Hole For Food is returning to Saint John this
summer. This year’s event takes place on Smythe St. (beside Harbour Passage
Trail) on Saturday, July 7 from 3-7 PM. More details can be found on their website.

NHL Draft is this weekend and the CHL Import Draft is
next week. Enjoy.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

“We think we have some real good young players,” said
Kelly about the team he'll operate this season.

“We are real excited about having them come in, and have
an opportunity to play. The one thing we have always been big on in Saint John
is playing our kids. The kids play, and get an opportunity to develop.”

By the sounds of the article, there could be some other
adjustments made to the coaching staff.

AAA

Four Sea Dogs were picked by Maritime Junior Hockey League
teams over the weekend. Two others were selected in the Quebec Junior 'AAA'
Hockey League draft yesterday. Here’s who was picked:

“I’m extremely happy to have Gerard Gallant joining us –
I thought he’d be the prefect guy,” Therrien said in a team release. “When I
got hired, I had a few people in mind, but he was my number one choice. First
of all, I have huge respect for him as a player and I respect the fact that he
went to the American league, really learned to be a coach there, and ended up
in the NHL as a coach. When he went back to the QMJHL, he had enormous success
with the Sea Dogs.

“He’s capable of working with young kids and the kids
really love to work with him,” added Therrien. “We’ve got some great young
prospects and I believe that it’s really important to be able to adapt to young
players. I know Gerry is going to be a great fit in that way.”

Clement Jodoin was also hired as an assistant coach. He recently coached the Hamilton Bulldogs but before that worked with Rimouski and Lewiston.

The Saint John Sea Dogs captain recorded a goal and eight
assists in six games with Team Canada at the 2012 World Junior Hockey
Championships, helping his country capture bronze. Huberdeau is eligible to
play at this year’s tournament but, with him expected to play with the Florida
Panthers this season, he may not be available.

The 19-year old registered 30 goals and 42 assists in 37
regular season games with Saint John and added another 10 goals and 11 assists
in 15 playoff games.

Huberdeau was one of five QMJHL players to be invited to
the event. The others were PEI’s Maxime Lagace, Blainville-Boisbraind’s Xavier
Ouellet, Chicoutimi’s Charles Hudon, and Victoriaville’s Phillip Danault.

Dougie Hamilton, Scott Harrington, Ryan Murray, Huberdeau,
Boone Jenner, Mark Scheifele, and Ryan Strome all played with Team Canada at the
2012 world juniors in Alberta.

Here’s the schedule for the series which will be
celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series.

“I am thrilled with this opportunity and am grateful to
the ownership,” said Kelly in a team release. “Looking back three years ago, we
were faced with the same challenges that we are today and we look forward to
our next era.”

Kelly has filled in as head coach a few times over the
years when Gallant was sick and stuff. Kelly has been behind the bench for most
games acting as an assistant coach.

“We couldn’t be in better hands with Mike Kelly taking on
both roles,” said Sea Dogs President Wayne Long. “I am excited for our future
with Mike as our new Head Coach.”

The Sea Dogs are good hands with Kelly running the bench.
He has a plethora of coaching experience from the University ranks to the
National Hockey League. From the team release:

Kelly has coached at several levels throughout his
career. Originally from Oakville, Ont., he most recently spent three years in
the Vancouver Canucks organization (2005-2008) as an assistant coach with both
the Canucks and the Manitoba Moose (AHL).

At the major junior level, Kelly has experience in both
coaching and in management with the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL), North Bay
Centennials (OHL), and Windsor Spitfires (OHL). In 1998, Kelly led the
University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds to a Canadian Interuniversity
Championship, winning the Father George Kehoe Memorial Award as the top collegiate
coach in the country in the process. As a player, Kelly served as captain of
UNB and also played professionally in Europe.

Kelly led Canada to a gold medal at the 2003 IIHF World
Under-18 Championship, serving as head coach of the elite squad. He was also an
assistant on Team Canada’s coaching staff at the IIHF World Junior
Championships from 2000 to 2002.

Kelly will be the fourth head coach in team history.
Christian LaRue (2005-2006), Jacques Beaulieu (2006-2009), and Gerard Gallant
(2009-2012) were the others.

It’s official – the Saint John Sea Dogs are currently
without a head coach.

The Montreal Canadiens announced this morning that Gerard
Gallant has been named an assistant coach of the Habs. Canadiens Executive vice
president and general manager, Marc Bergevin, made the announcement via press release.

Rumours had been circulating all week that Gallant would
be joining the new Canadiens coaching staff led by head coach Michel Therrien.
Yesterday, those rumours became all but official.

Hired by the Sea Dogs in 2009, Gallant led the Sea Dogs
to their first division and regular season title and took the team all the way
to the President’s Cup final before losing in six games to the Moncton
Wildcats. Then in 2010-11, Gallant led what has to be considered one of the
greatest junior hockey teams of all-time to a national title. The Dogs won the division, regular
season, President’s Cup, and then brought the Memorial Cup to the Maritimes for
the first time ever.

This past season, Saint John won their third straight
regular season title and recorded their third consecutive 50-win and 100-point
season as well. The Dogs repeated as President’s Cup champions but their season
ended with a semi-final loss at the Memorial Cup.

Gallant was named QMJHL and CHL coach of the year in 2010
and 2011.

Gallant leaves as the most successful coach in team
history. He also becomes the first Sea Dogs head coach to not be fired.

It’s tough for the Sea Dogs to lose Gallant but this is
what junior hockey is all about. From the players to the coaches to the
training staff, they all want to reach the NHL level.

Now the big question is who will become Sea Dogs head
coach? Will they promote from within or find someone new? One thing is for sure
– this hockey team is certainly going to have a different look next season.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Gallant had an interview with the Habs last week and has
been rumoured to be a prime candidate for the position. He has National Hockey
League coaching experience and has proven he can coach a winning team at the
junior level.

Reports have been circulating all day from several media
sources that the Saint John Sea Dogs head coach will join the Canadiens' new coaching staff. A taste of what the internet is saying:

Since being hired during the 2009 off-season, Gallant has
coached Saint John to three regular season titles, two President’s Cup
championships, and a Memorial Cup title. He was also named the QMJHL and CHL
coach of the year in both 2010 and 2011.

Obviously, it’s a big loss for the Sea Dogs. He will be
missed. But this is what junior hockey is all about.

Habs head coach Michel Therrien is also rumoured to be hiring Clement Jodoin in the coming days as an assistant as well. Jodoin
coached the Hamilton Bulldogs last season and prior to that coached the
Rimouski Oceanic and the Lewiston Maineiacs.

Been a busy few days in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey
League. Here’s a look at some of the stuff that has made headlines this past
week.

Anthony DeLuca, selected in the second round of last
weekend’s QMJHL Entry Draft by Rimouski, will play for the Oceanic next season.
He had committed to the University of Vermont. It’s been a successful couple of
weeks for last year’s President’s Cup finalists as they also got Maxime Gravel
and Frederic Gauthier to report next season. Turns out the Sea Dogs aren’t the
only team who can get players considering NCAA to come play junior. Huh. [The Mack Report]

There were only two QMJHL graduates on the Stanley Cup
champion Los Angeles Kings. [QMJHL]

Just a few days after the QMJHL Entry Draft, the Moncton
Wildcats “parted ways” with chief scout Peter Nevin. Willy Palov reports that
Roger Shannon will take over. No official announcement has been made. [Twitter,
Twitter]

The Mooseheads expect to have both Martin Frk and Konrad
Abeltshauser back next season but they will still be picking in the CHL Import
Draft later this month. [Metro Halifax]

Speaking of the Import Draft, the defending OHL champion
London Knights will be selecting ninth overall following a trade yesterday. The
Moncton Wildcats will select first. [Twitter]

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

“The Wings are attempting to sign Tomas Jurco but the
process has become dicey,” writes Ian Altenbaugh. “According to Jurco's agent,
J.P. Barry, the Red Wings and he have settled on the terms of an entry-level
contract, however it cannot be filed with the league due to the lack of an
agreeable transfer agreement between Slovakia and the NHL. The NHL has extended
the window to sign such prospects until June 15th (typically there is a
moratorium on signing entry-level contracts between June 1st through July 1st)
which would allow Jurco to play in the AHL (or NHL, of course) next season. He
is eligible to return to Saint John for an overage season, but that's not a
direction the Red Wings or Jurco's representation seem too interested in as,
developmentally, he is ready for a new challenge. When asked whether Jurco may
have to spend a year in Slovakia's pro league, Barry expressed optimism to
Hockey's Future that it would not come down to that but did not rule it out
completely.”

Even if Jurco somehow gets returned to the Sea Dogs,
there probably won’t be room for him with the Sea Dogs expected to draft two
new Euros in the Canadian Hockey League’s Import Draft later this month.

In 48 games with Saint John this past season, the
Slovakian recorded 30 goals and 38 assists. In 16 playoff games he added 13
goals and 16 assists.

Jurco is expected to play with the American Hockey League’s
Grand Rapids Griffins next year.

On a side note, Jurco tweeted a link to this sick video the other day.

“I like his skating, he’s got a quick first step," Sea
Dogs Nova Scotia scout Sid Veysey said about Highmore. “As far as the passing
and playmaking, he’s kind of like Sidney Crosby in that aspect of the game, and
that’s what we like about him.”

“It’s a big organization and they win,’’ Olivier Leblanc,
the 11th overall pick, said of the Sea Dogs. “It’s fun to go to a
team that wins. They will take care of me."

A couple of surprises involved goaltenders. Mason
McDonald, the top ranked goaltender who was projected to seventh overall by
Central Scouting, slipped all the way to 20th where he was picked by
Bathurst.

Goaltender Keven Bouchard, projected to go 15th
overall, slid all the way to 46th where he was selected by Val-d’Or.

The Sea Dogs drafted just one goaltender and that was
American Drew Michals in the ninth round. No idea if he'll report.

This is a photo of the players who were selected in the
first round of Saturday’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft. It appears on the QMJHL website.

At first glance it looks all good. But if you take a
closer look, you’ll notice that a team that had three first round picks is
missing. For whatever reason, none of the Val-d’Or Foreurs first rounders were in the photo.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

The Sea Dogs had two picks in the first round and used
them to select forward Matthew Highmore and defenseman Olivier Leblanc. We
profiled those two in a separate post.

As for the other nine players, here’s a closer look at
them.

With their first pick of the fourth round, the Sea Dogs
selected forward Spencer Smallman from the Fredericton Canadiens. He’s listed
as 5’07” and 140 lbs so he really is a small man. He recorded 16 goals and 25
assists in 34 games with the midget AAA Canadiens last year. He led the team in
playoff scoring with four goals and 13 assists in 10 games.

“Smallman could be a steal...skinny kid but very skilled,
hockey sense and vision you can’t teach,” tweets @lalalaprise.

The Dogs then selected another forward from the Canadiens
in Noah Zilbert with the 73rd overall pick. Listed at 5’7” and 175
lbs, Zilbert registered 26 goals and 29 assists in 27 games to finish second in
team scoring during the regular season. He added five goals and 10 assists in
the playoffs.

Zilbert also spent some time with the Woodtsock Slammers
this past season and was part of Team Atlantic at the World Under-17 Hockey
Challenge.

The Sea Dogs selected a Newfoundlander 121st
overall, picking up Marcus Cuomo from the St. John's Privateers Major Midget Hockey Club. Listed at 5’10” and 197 lbs, the 16-year old recorded 29 goals and
17 assists in 35 regular season games. He led the team in playoff scoring,
registering 15 goals and 13 assists in 10 games.

The Sea Dogs acquired 19-year old defenseman David
Weckworth from the Gatineau Olympiques along with a 2013 8th round
pick in exchange for a 2013 5th round pick.

An Ottawa native who is listed at 6’02” and 198,
Weckworth played in 50 games this past season with Gatineau, recording five
assists, a -7 rating and 12 penalty minutes. In the playoffs he added an assist
in four games.

He recorded a goal and seven assists in 50 games during
the 2010-11 season and another two assists in 24 playoff games. The Olympiques’
season ended in a six-game series loss to the Sea Dogs in the President’s Cup
final.

Saint John’s defense will definitely have a different
look to it this season. Charles Roussel and likely Nathan Beaulieu are gone.
Then you have Pierre Durepos, Kevin Gagne, Ian Saab, and Jason Seed who are all
overagers. Younger guys like Benjamin Hade and Olivier Leblanc will likely make
the jump to junior.

The Saint John Sea Dogs selected both a forward and a
defenseman in the first round of the 2012 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Entry Draft.

With the eighth overall selection, the Sea Dogs selected
forward Matthew Highmore. The 16-year old is listed at five-foot-11 and 160
lbs. He played with the Dartmouth Taylor Flooring Major Midgets last season in
the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League, recording 13 goals and 13 assists
in 25 regular season games and added three goals and eight assists in 16
playoff games.

“At the beginning of the year we heard a lot from him but
then he was injured for a portion of the season,” QMJHL Director of Scouting
Pierre Leduc told the Chronicle Herald. “He missed a number of games. He’s a
power forward. He’s a very talented centre. He’s an above average skater and he
has an excellent feel for the game. He’s a good puck carrier with good
anticipation. Matthew also has a very good work ethic. He will need to complete
his game around the net a little more to get more points ... but I think he can
do that. He is a very talented player.”

According to Metro Halifax, “in 2010-11, Highmore played
major midget as a 14-year-old after being granted exceptional-player status by
Hockey Nova Scotia.”

Highmore was ranked 11th by Central Scouting.

With the 11th overall pick, the Sea Dogs
headed to Quebec to select Olivier Leblanc. The Sea Dogs called a time-out
prior to making the selection.

LeBlanc, who had a wide smile on his face during the
entire process, is listed at five-foot-10 and 154 lbs. He played with Séminaire
St-François Blizzard last season, the same team Sea Dogs prospect Benjamin Hade
played for.

Therrien was hired by the Canadiens earlier this week and
has yet to name his assistants.

Briggs also reports that there are rumblings about
Gallant interviewing for an assistant coaching position with the Dallas Stars.
RDS also brought up the Washington Capitals – who currently don’t have a head
coach – as a possible destination as well.

“He’s done everything possible in three QMJHL seasons,
coaching both the league’s most potent offensive team and their stingiest
defensive squad,” writes Willis. “In a perfect world, I’d like to see him
running an AHL team for a few years before I’d look at him as a really high-end
NHL coaching candidate, but with the success he’s had I expect he’ll be behind
an NHL bench in the not too distant future.”

It would obviously hurt the Sea Dogs if Gallant left. But getting to the NHL level is what junior hockey is all about.

The Saint John Sea Dogs’ rebuild truly begins this
morning in Quebec City.

The 2012 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft
takes place this morning at Pepsi Colisee. The Sea Dogs currently have 11 picks
in the 14-round draft including two first rounders. Here is where the Sea Dogs
will be picking today (at the moment, anyway).

The expansion Sherbrooke Phoenix will select first and are expected to take Daniel Audette followed by the PEI Rocket selecting Alexis
Pepin and then Cape Breton picking Clark Bishop. Things could change of course,
but that seems to be the consensus on how things are going to go down. After
the top three the fun will begin.

The Saint John Sea Dogs will pick twice (maybe three times) in the first round of Saturday’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry
Draft. At the moment, the Sea Dogs will be picking 8th and 11th
overall.

Who will the Sea Dogs pick? Well, there seems to be three
names that keep being thrown around – goaltender Mason McDonald, defenseman
Cody Donaghey, and forward Matthew Highmore.

Here’s a closer look at all three players.

Mason McDonald – Goaltender

Ranked 7th by Central Scouting and is the top ranked
goaltender in the draft. The 16-year old Halifax native is six-foot-three. It’s
been said a bunch of places that he likes to move the puck and should benefit from
the QMJHL dumping the trapezoid next season.

“He constantly challenges the puck, has good technique
and he moves well for his size,” Leduc told the Chronicle Herald. “Mason excels
also in handling the puck behind the net. He’s easily able to facilitate the
defencemen’s work. He really controls the puck well when the other team shoots it
around the boards. He’s always there to stop it and if he has a free guy right
away, he’s able to make a pass.”

According to the Herald, he posted a 2.01 goals against
average, .920 save percentage and 14-1 record with the MSMMHL’s Halifax Titans
last season.

The Mooseheads currently have 15th overall
pick in tomorrow's Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

Halifax is going for it this year and the Sea Dogs have
some veterans they can unload. The two teams talking only makes since.

With Halifax’s 20-year situation nearly sorted out, you
have to wonder if the Moose are going to try and go after Ryan Tesink, an experienced forward with some skill and sandpaper. He would be - and has proven to be - a key member to a contending team.

The Chronicle Herald’s Willy Palov brought up Tesink in his live blog today when asked what the Moose may try to do to replace graduated
captain Cameron Critchlow.

“They are trying to find a Critchlow replacement,” Palov
wrote. “My feeling is the player they are most interested in is Ryan Tesink
from Saint John. The price would be quite high for him, though.”

If the Sea Dogs do pull off a deal for this pick, that
would give them three first round selections tomorrow.

The Saint John Sea Dogs have two first round picks in
tomorrow’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft. At the moment, they'll have to wait awhile to pick again.

The Sea Dogs currently have 11 picks for tomorrow’s
draft. They have two first round picks but don’t select again until the fourth
round where they’ll pick twice. After that they won’t pick until the seventh
round. Saint John has five picks in the final four rounds. Of course, this all
could change depending on trades.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Gabriel Bourret has
been traded to the Gatineau Olympiques.

The Chicoutimi Sagueneens traded Bourret to Gatineau in
exchange for the return of their 2013 second round selection. It’s the second straight
season that Bourret was swapped during the draft trading period as the Sea Dogs sent
him to the Sags at this time last season.

Bourret recorded five goals and 30 assists in 68 games
during the regular season. In the playoffs he added a goal and 10 helpers in 18
games.

Honzik has been a beast against Saint John for the past
two years. Despite losing the series in five games, he was sensational against
the Dogs in the 2011 playoffs. Honzik struggled this past season but did manage
to register a shutout against Saint John. Now he’ll have the opportunity to
dominate the Sea Dogs eight times per season.

The Eagles also acquired Justin Hache from the Shawinigan
Cataractes. In return, the Eagles sent back Shawinigan’s 2013 first round pick, a
pick they acquired in the Morgan Ellis deal.

The Moncton Wildcats acquired Alex Dubeau, Jonathan
Racine, and Yannick Veilleux from the Cataracates to complete the Brandon
Gormley trade. In exchange, the Wildcats sent the Cats back a bunch of picks.

The Wildcats also picked up the No. 1 pick in the CHL
Import Draft in a trade with the Sherbrooke Phoenix as expected. The ‘Cats sent
prospect Jack Flinn, a 2013 first round pick, a third and fourth round pick in
this year’s draft, and a second round pick in the CHL Import Draft to Sherbrooke.

The Halifax Mooseheads officially acquired Stefan
Fournier from the Tigres in exchange for a third and eighth round pick.

Gallant played with Canadiens general manager Marc
Bergevin during his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning so it makes sense the
Saint John Sea Dogs head coach would be rumoured for a position with the Habs.

“We all want to get to the National Hockey League,”
Gallant said during a press conference in Shawinigan. “That's the goal of every
player, every trainer and the coaches themselves. I haven't thought about it.
Marc Bergevin and I played together, we're good friends. Marc Bureau and I
played together also. There's a race to get there, but I haven't talked with
anyone. There's no talk about that. Once the season's over, if someone wants to
talk to me, I'll listen for sure."

It’s hard to say how accurate the TVA Sports report is, but
you have to believe Gallant is drawing some attention from the NHL level given
the success he has had with the Saint John Sea Dogs and the fact that he has
coached in The Show before.

There are other coaching positions available in the NHL
so this may not be the only report/rumour we hear about this summer.

Since taking over as Sea Dogs head coach in 2009, Gallant
has led the Sea Dogs to three regular season titles, two President Cup
championships, a Memorial Cup title, and has had a plethora of players selected
in the NHL Draft.